Kumasi, May 7, GNA - The National Identification Authority (NIA) has announced an extension of the on-going mass registration exercise in the Kumasi metropolis for two more days to allow more residents to register. This comes amidst growing public frustration and anger over glitches, bribery accusations and poor management of the identification exercise. Some applicants are seen in queues at the 495 designated registration centres in the metropolis as early as 0200 hours but are unable to go through the process by the close of the day. Ms Bertha Dzeble, Public Affairs Director of the NIA, told a press conference in Kumasi that the exercise would now end on May 13, instead of the May 11 they earlier fixed. Besides, the Authority would maintain one centre in each of the 10 sub-metropolitan areas after the deadline for one month for a mop-up. Ms Dzeble allayed the fears of many that they might not be able to register, saying, the exercise was not a one-off event. Permanent regional and district offices are being established to see to it that the people continued to be registered at any time they found convenient.

She said the mass registration exercise was to get a base data upon which the national identification system would be built, adding that the registration had now become a permanent system. Ms Dzeble said there was therefore no reason for the people to wake up at dawn to join queues. She blamed the seemingly slow-paced nature of the exercise on the inability of some applicants to provide off-hand personal data for speedy processing. Ms Dzeble called for restraint and urged the people to desist from attacking the registration officials. They should rather cooperate with them to enable the programme to be carried out smoothly. Ms Dzeble also touched on the accusations of alleged bribe taking by some of the registration officials and appealed to those with evidence to be bold and report to the Authority for action to be taken.